In the beginning there was..

Over the past few weeks thought has been progressing to the way that the layout will be constructed i myself would like to model as much of dalegarth station as i possibly can It will take time but i eventually would like to be able to take  the layout to Dalegarth and virtually say spot the difference  this will be  possibly the largest 09 layout that there is out there theres no way that i am doing this to out do others  it is more to fuel my own passion for the little Cumbrian railway that brought me into havng a deep railway interest as a child

I am considering utilizing a DCC system for the layout  however the thought of DCC sound is a nice one the technology is ever progressing and i feel that in time it may become easier to have all locomotives fitted with sound as opposed squeezing  the present sound chips in to places Waiting and seeing what the future brings  will hopefully pay off and we will see smaller chips available .

In early march i met with Paul Windle who kindly took my commission for a one off model of River Mite in as built condition, sadly without the air pump the model is being built on a modified spectrum USA consolidation  this will form the nucleus of the embryonic Dalegarth fleet which already boasts a model of ICL1 "bunny" and a part completed Lady Wakefield Both locomotives run on Bachmann USA GP40 chassis i however am looking to undertake modifications to upgrade them to a suitable DCC ready chassis  in preparation for the future long term aims.

the above is just a drop in the ocean of what is Dalegarth it will be a large layout and i aim to portay is accurately with the odd interloper from other layouts and other 15" prototypes such as the forth coming kits from N Drive for Katie and Effie the Heywood locomotives.

After all If a Job is worth doing its worth doing Well and Right!

the name of the game is Research at present

New beginnings: introduction

Since  i was three  i grew up with family holidays to the lake district and further up on the Cumbrian coast near Whitehaven  these Holidays are cherished memory's made more special by our visits to the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway A 7 mile long 15" gauge railway that Runs from the Delightful coastal  village of ravenglass through two stunning valleys climbing as you go  to the foot of scarfell pike with the  station at Dalegarth as the end of the journey. The view up the valley from dalegarth station looking into the mountains is one that every person should see the mountains rise majestically on the horizon.

Since 1993 i have loved the ratty  from My first visit  having a footplate ride on Bonnie dundee  though to my last visit in 2010  riding with peter Van zeller on the footplate of River mite . i will 

say that The Ratty Will and has always been close to my heart

Now i started a 09 layout last year roughly based on Dalegarth  but i was never really happy with the results i had achieved because i was rushing to get it done now the Red scar and Whites railway  has been put to pasture elsewhere  i have decided to properly research and photograph Dalegarth Station As it was rebuilt in 2005.  The main Features that i Would like to include  are the Cottages at the old Junction with  the Stanley Ghyll Tramway  and the bridge over Whillan Beck  the station itself will be modeled as close to scale as practicality does allow Including scratch building the Theakston Turntable to scale as the peco offering that red-scar used does not permit the use of  any locos the size of the ravenglass engines  as they are very long and the use of such a table would be haphazard in operation with less than 2mm  to spare between the Ends of the track and the wheels of the engine and tender

So come with me on a Journey Into the Hills  where i will be learning all i can and share it  with you!...